A recent study conducted by geoscientists from Heidelberg University has uncovered the earliest known evidence of environmental lead contamination in the Aegean region. By analyzing sediment cores from the seabed and coastal areas surrounding the Aegean Sea, researchers have determined that human activities began polluting the environment with lead approximately 5,200 years ago—well before previously […]
Pollution
Posted inAncient Rome, Science
Lead contamination caused a generalized decline in the IQ of Europeans during the Roman Empire
Lead contamination has long been recognized as a significant public health hazard, even at low exposure levels. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) sheds light on the extensive environmental and cognitive impacts of lead pollution during the Roman Empire. Researchers at the Desert Research Institute (DRI) utilized Arctic […]
Posted inBronze Age Archaeology
King Solomon’s Mines Did Not Pollute the Environment, According to Geochemical Analysis
A recent study conducted by Tel Aviv University challenges the popular belief about the environmental and health impacts associated with the copper industry in ancient times. Researchers thoroughly analyzed the copper production sites in the Timna Valley, dated to the 10th century BCE, the era of the biblical kings David and Solomon, and concluded that […]
Posted inAntiquity, Science
Dementia Was Extremely Rare in Ancient Greece and Rome, Suggesting Sedentary Lifestyles and Pollution are to Blame
A recent analysis from researchers at the University of Southern California has found that medical texts from 2500 years ago rarely mentioned severe memory loss, suggesting that widespread dementia seen today may be linked to modern environments and lifestyles. It’s commonly thought that age-related dementia has always existed, dating back to ancient times. However, this […]
